The Burdekin catchment is one of the largest contributors of
freshwater, sediments and nutrients to the GBR. The Burdekin region
makes up 33% of the total of GBR catchments, and , with >93% of
the land use comprising of grazing, sugar cane and horticulture,
these industries produce significant contributions to these
sediment and nutrient loads. ( Land uses in the Burdekin region ).
Freshwater discharge from the Burdekin Region is highly variable
both seasonally and from year to year. The Burdekin region consists
of five principal river catchments (Burdekin, Black, Ross, Haughton
and Don), yet, on average, the Burdekin River by itself contributes
approximately 80% of the total annual regional discharge into the
GBR.
Flood plumes from the Burdekin River travel north along the
coastline driven by the Coriolis effect and the south easterly
Trade Winds. During average floods (of a total of between 3 to 7
million ML), the Burdekin flood plume extends up to approximately
200km north of the river mouth (reaching the area of Hinchinbrook
Island). Very large and extreme flood events, where total discharge
is greater than 12 million ML, can cause the flood plume to extend
up to as far as 500km north, as far as Cooktown .
Plumes are generally confined to within 30km offshore but can
occasionally reach as far out as the mid-shelf reefs, up to 120km
from shore.
The Burdekin CCI has commissioned a review of current knowledge
of terrestrial runoff and a study of the fate of sediments,
nutrients, pesticides and heavy metals discharged into the GBR
lagoon.
Read the Report
The
spatial extent of delivery of terrestrial materials from the
Burdekin Region in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. By: Stephen
Lewis, et al. (2007) (5.84 Mb)
Or read the report in sections:
Executive Summary
Table of Contents and Introduction
Chapter 2. The extent of Burdekin Region waters in the
marine environment.
Chapter 3. The extent of Burdekin Region terrigenous
sediments in the marine enviroment.
Chapter 4. Tracing the extent of Burdekin Region nutrients
in the marine environment.
Chapter 5. Tracing the extent of Burdekin Region pesticides
and heavy metals in the marine environment.
References
Appendices.